Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Josephine Meckseper - Cobra

Josephine Meckseper - Cobra, 2012

Meckseper's work idealizes political and economic positions by appropriating both consumerist and revolutionary tropes. Slick presentation of ready-made objects and commodities act as symbols of a ruthless capitalist economy.

Regularly focusing on war and the oil industry in the US, Meckseper's film 0% Down refers explicitly to the militaristic advertising rhetoric and crude sales tactics used by the automobile industry to sell high performance cars. Mecksepers work presents itself as highly commodified polished objects, however it also acts to subvert the consumerist agenda often at stake with many art practices.

"The work equally reflects the role of the artist in our current consumer society. How does one reconcile the symbolic and the monetary value of cultural production? How does one make visible real economic and political realities without just mimicking them? Is there really still a subculture or subversiveness in art? This is the narrative behind the recent display sculptures" - Josephine Meckseper